Click here for all live scores as Richmond faces St Kilda in a do-or-die semi-final at Metricon Stadium tonight!
This has been the year of the scoring review controversy, so it’s fitting that we have our fair share of it tonight, but more on that in a moment
This game is dangerously placed at the moment if you’re a St Kilda fan, with Richmond taking a 31-point lead in the main break after a dominant second term
You could just tell from the anthem that there weren’t any funny things from the Tigers tonight and they’ve been as locked up as I remember them this season
St Kilda returned to the game early in the second quarter, but was unable to really gain ground on the scoreboard
Richmond scored three straight goals to stretch to a game-high 32 points lead before St Kilda appeared to have recovered late before the scoring came in
Tigers defenseman Nick Vlaustin attempted to pass the ball over the line but appeared to miss it, but the goal umpire’s soft signal was that he had been hit
The ARC’s camera angles showed no conclusive evidence to prove he was not hit, with all the angles quite blurry resulting in the referee calling is permanent
Saints, and AFL fans in general aren’t too impressed with the ARC system tonight
Richmond appeared to be heading into the opening quarter with a comfortable lead, but former teammate Dan Butler scored a vital goal straight off the siren
However, it’s not without controversy with the siren and the clock not looking really in sync there to end the quarter
While the ARC system is generally available for goals at any point in the match, for some reason the referees won’t review this one and Garry Lyon was left furious on the call.
« Are you saying that we are shutting down the game during quarters for scoring review, but we are not going to review this goal? » he asks on AFL Nation
« Well that’s the dream start for the Golden Boy, » said Bruce McAvaney in a commentary as Tom Lynch scored the game’s first goal just 50 seconds into the game
It really is the perfect start for the Tigers as skipper Trent Cotchin got the center clearance and hit him inside 50
Lynch, who is coached by Dougal Howard, passed the Saints defenseman to take the chest mark before scoring his saved shot
One of the big three outs for St Kilda tonight is key defender Jake Carlisle, who left the Queensland hub to be with his wife following the birth of his son
Carlisle is a huge advantage for the Saints, given that he reportedly freed Dougal Howard to be more of an interceptor while potentially equipping Tom Lynch himself.
St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis has said the club will try to get Carlisle to Adelaide if the Saints are successful tonight
Of course, the winner of tonight’s clash will face Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval next week in a preliminary final
Former St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has identified the key to his former team achieving a shock victory today as they are doing behind their backs 50
As we mentioned, the last time the Saints killed Richmond in the transition game, and Lyon says the Saints need to make sure they drag the Tigers forward.
« Last week Richmond was passed or there was a big booty (Brisbane defenders) They have to bring the ball back to the ground with a soft drop
« If you look at the St Kilda defenders (last week), they took a lot of intercept marks, but it’s going to be harder against the combination of Lynch and Riewoldt. These intercept marks they have taken really set up the counterattacks «
St Kilda have won the only game between the two teams this season, shocking the Tigers to the air of a 26-point victory at Marvel Stadium, a long time ago when the AFL still played games in Melbourne
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In his first game against his former team, Dan Butler played for St Kilda, scoring three goals to go along with 13 eliminations, three Inside 50s and three tackles
The Saints managed to get the upper hand over the Tigers by dominating saves, leading the Tigers 38-21 in saves
Brett Ratten’s men also hit 55 turnover points, including 30 from his defensive half
As Brad Hill rioted last time around, expect the Tigers to put a leash on some of the St Kilda runners in order to block that sinking ball movement in the back half of the field
Good evening AFL fans and welcome to Wide World of Sports LIVE coverage of Richmond’s semi-final clash against St Kilda at Metricon Stadium
Tonight will pass the end of the season for one of these two teams after working hard in the Queensland hub in pursuit of prime minister glory
Could the Saints add another chapter to what turns out to be a fairytale season for them by knocking out most people’s favorite as prime minister?
Or will the Tigers move into a fourth straight preliminary final after last week’s loss to Brisbane
It will definitely be a fantastic contest and we’ll have you covered!
St Kilda Football Club, Australian Football League, Richmond Football Club, AFL Grand Final, Western Bulldogs
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